I’m “taking a break” this weekend again. I’m still playing catch up with a bunch of stuff and should probably start my taxes. Blah, blah, blah.

Last night I was watching American Gangster. It was pretty good, no Scarface or Goodfellas but a great entrepreneurial story about drug lord Frank Lucas, if you can look past the product. Very interesting subversion of power.

There’s a scene where a dirty cop answers the door to find a turkey in a cage (it’s thanksgiving) and then his fancy sports car blows up. Prior to opening the door he’s sitting in front of the TV and Trevor Denman is calling a race! His voice is so distinctive that I noticed because of his voice, not because of what he was saying. Note to Swifty, there’s a Samsonite attache prominently featured in this film!

I was going to handicap the Lane’s End given that the morning line favorite is 7-2, but then I noticed that Twinspires is only taking phone bets for Turfway. I would leave the house if I wanted to talk to anyone!

Sierra Sunset & Russel Baze win the Cal Cup Juvenile (qtfeather2000)

Hopefully!

Sierra Sunset was found to have a small hairline fracture in his left front ankle so he’s off the Derby trail. [DRF]

Apparently all he needs is 3 months rest, I hope that’s the case! It sort of reminds me of Notional, turning in a great performance and poof. Speaking of which, Notional breezed 6F in 1:14:40 at Hollywood park earlier in the week.

Best wishes to Sierra Sunset on a speedy recovery!

That’s right, mark your calendars y’all because The First Saturday in May will be making it’s week long theatrical run on April 18th in a city near you!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, congrats to the Hennegan Brothers! They’ve partnered with Churchill and Truly Indie to make the distribution deal happen, and if that wasn’t great enough, they’re donating 25% of their box office & a percentage of their DVD sales to Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation.

“Our goal was to make horse racing cool again by telling the stories of the hard-working, dedicated, and resilient individuals who dedicate their lives to the horses they love. As lifelong horse racing fans, the documentation of this film was a true passion of ours.”

    – John Hennegan

I don’t like to bang the old GbG drum too much around here, but check out their new site! One of the reasons I’ve been muttering about being busy is that I redesigned to their site to give them something that had more of the look and feel of the film + something they could update themselves (with my help when they’re busy, like now!). Also, Manny from ThirdEye Design did the two excellent title graphics and Bill Denver of Equiphoto took the photo in the header graphic (which is of Barbaro winning the Derby).

I’m flattered that they asked me to be part of such a kick ass project and honored to have worked with them. They’re as cool as their film and I think one of many signals (such as the TBA), that horse racing in general is undergoing a cultural revival. I know of several folks working on very cool racing related projects! This is just the beginning.

Do yourself a favor, make the effort to go see this film… and preferably more than once!

And by in town I mean in the states.

Imagine my surprise when I checked my DRF horse watch to see a work Premium Tap at Payson Park!

Really? Is is really easier to come to Payson Park from Saudi Arabia to train for Dubai? All I know is that I’m happy I’m actually going to get to SEE him run instead of reading about it.

(Barking Madcaz)

Bandwagon jumpers, believers, non-believers, and hype haters… we’re all looking for the same thing, right? To fall in love. But we’re skeptics… hurt so many times in the past, afraid to open our hearts again and be made a fool of. So we’re cautious, asking our intendeds to jump through hoop after hoop after hoop before we’ll say with certainty “I love [horse name]!”.

Maybe I don’t believe in monogamy… I believe it’s ok to love one and bet on another, or even multiple others! I like to have an open relationship with a horse. I may love you with all of my heart, but if your odds are too low I’m probably not going to bet on you. Sorry honey!

It’s close enough to the big dance now that I can start to evaluate my Derby suitors. For the most part I’ve seen enough to know who’s just a fleeting interest and who’s got some real potential.

Just a crush? Let’s be friends? Or I really think we could be something special… only time will tell! Until then, here’s how they’re stacking for me.

Pyro:

He caught my eye as a two year old, putting in very game efforts in both the Champagne and Breeders’ Cup.

But he really won me over in the Risen Star with his shocking turn of foot and insane final quarter. And just to prove that he’s no one trick pony, he stayed involved in the Louisiana Derby, sitting much closer to the pace and proving again that he can get around those others when he needs too.

Sure, he’s a hype machine and there’s always something, but he’s moved off my “prove it to me list” and on the confirmed “Like” list.

Sierra Sunset:

This guy just turned up on my radar yesterday but I’m definitely interested. Getting away from the polytrack has spiffed up this looker! He improved at a mile at Oaklawn when he placing to the also dreamy Denis of Cork and then stretched out beautifully to win impressively. I’m ready to see some more!

Denis Cork:

And doesn’t Sierra Sunset’s nice performance speak well of this young man? His performance in the aforementioned race was very professional, sitting just off the pace and then powering home. I’m really looking forward to his next outing.

Elysium Fields:

Another new guy on the scene, at least for me, his performance in the Fountain of Youth was full of promise. Just as it looked like Cool Coal Man was going to put some distance between them, he moved to the outside and turned it on… fighting back is a big turn on! Not only does this bode well for the distance but he kept going in the gallop out… this guy is the at the top of the list!

Majestic Warrior:

His performance in the Hopeful was indeed just that! He came out of the clouds to blow past the favorites. In his 3yo debut he ran wide and made big a move on the final turn but failed to fire. I believe in this handsome devil and am willing to give him another chance to prove himself to me.

Cool Coal Man:

As already mentioned, this guy looked very convincing in the Fountain of Youth but I still want a little more convincing before I say yes.

King’s Silver Son:

Here’s another new guy on the scene! He was really game and closing hard in the stretch in the Rebel. With a little more practice he could be a real heart stopper… I’ve got my eye on you!

Fierce Wind:

Obviously, I like to have a lot of suitors on deck… but that’s just because you can never be too sure! I found this guy’s performance in the Sam B. Davis as solid as any and for that I’m willing to keep him on the (apparently not so) short list to see what happens next.

Georgie Boy:

Dirt darling, dirt. That’s my only reservation but it’s one I can’t overlook, at least not for the Derby. Too bad too, he could be just the one for me otherwise!

Visionaire:

I wanted his Gotham win to impress me more than it did but 1) I couldn’t see what happened and 2) he was shipped there to avoid Pyro. I like a winner and a touch of mystery but I need to see more of what you’ve got before we go any further!

Court Vision:

He could pop right back up on the ‘Next Stop Like” list with ease but I thought he’d do a little a better in the Fountain of Youth… I mean he did close off a slow pace in that rowdy Remsen! Maybe we’ll just be friends, but really good friends!

El Gato Malo:

Hard not to like a bad boy, but this bad boy may not be that bad after all. And what will he make of the dirt? I may just keep him on my “call him when you’re in Cali” list.

Colonel John:

Admittedly, it takes a lot for me to pay attention to those Cali boys so perhaps I haven’t given this one a fair shake. He just hasn’t been on my radar.

Tale of Ekati:

I’m willing to give him another start off of his tough debut but Majestic Warrior gave me butterflies the first time I noticed him, not this guy.

J Be K:

He’s fast and I like that but can he stay in for the long haul? I don’t think he got fair shake at it last out as Kent D. didn’t harness his natural speed. I’ll believe it when I see it but think he should get another shot.

Big Brown:

There’s a lot of talk about this late comer, I’d like to get a look for myself before I believe any hype.

Cowboy Cal:

Again, another one from Cali… I can’t keep all you surfer dudes straight!

Tomcito:

I’ve been hearing rumors in the hallways that there’s a new student starting soon and he’s really something. You never know when some one exciting can show up and change everything!

War Pass:

Last year’s prom king, and deservedly so. But we’re older now and it’s time to get a little more serious, show that you can handle the distance. Everyone has a bad day… hey, that’s part of growing up. But you’re going to have buckle down and really bring it next time or you may not be the top of your class after all.

Attoned:

He’s an around the way guy, full of heart and as honest as they come… what’s not to like? I’ll be really happy for him if it works out but if not maybe we can hang out this summer?

Big Truck:

Ditto accept if I had to pick between the two of them, I’d pick this big guy. He’s improved every time since the Hucheson and now we know he doesn’t like slop! Regardless of how it all works out, I’ll be looking for him this summer.

Unbridled Vicar:

He won’t make it to the big dance but I bet he might get better with age!

Blackberry Road:

I dismissed him early because people seemed to think he was the next Street Sense (which wasn’t exactly the kind of thing to get me interested), but as it turns out I think this guy’s got some heart. Check you later on in the year!

Z Fortune:

Sometimes those rich guys are endearing when they mess up a little. Maybe his parents don’t have realistic expectations for him? Just because he won’t be a doctor doesn’t mean he won’t be good at something!

Anak Nakal:

I’m sure you’re a nice guy, and I don’t have anything bad to say about you… but from what some of my friends were saying about you I expected a little more. I do wish you the best of luck and maybe our paths will cross again some day.

Georgie Boy & Rafael Bejarano winning the San Vicente (Charles Pravata)

Well, wasn’t today an interesting on the Derby Trail? All three Derby preps won by state breds, two of the three with failing less than even money honest favorites and one with a Lady Trainer!

I’m really curious to see if War Pass is injured, every one has a bad day but that was a serious clunker. He was never in it.

As for Sierra Sunset, it seems as though Oaklawn has breathed some life into him. I’m interested to see what his next move is. Z Fortune and Anak Nakal were nowhere to be found… I suppose not so surprising given Anak Nakal’s last out but a somewhat surprising for Z Fortune.

And then there’s Georgie Boy and his trainer Kathy Walsh. She’s taken a bit of an unconventional approach with him, foregoing temptation at several turns to, in her words, “do what you know is best.”

There was a nice feature on her and Georgie Boy from DRF published on NBC sports this week:

“You’ve got to realize that these horses can’t dance every dance,” Walsh said. “Horses are bred different from years ago. Their pedigrees are different. The tracks are different. That helps make it so tough. Fortunately, I have an owner that respects me and trusts me. We made a pact that if Georgie Boy ran in the Del Mar Futurity, we’d give him time afterwards. He was all for it.”

Walsh was born into a business, working for her father trainer Jim Walsh.

Walsh has been training stakes winners for more than 30 years, since the days of Auguste in the 1974 Governor’s Handicap at Longacres. She came into the sport both privileged, as the daughter of a trainer, and persecuted, for being a woman in a sport whose latent chauvinism exists today, let alone three decades ago.

Best of luck to her and her very talented Georgie Boy! I hadn’t payed him much attention to him until now but I’m going to start. He’s scheduled to start next in the Santa Anita Derby April 5th, but I wish he was running on conventional dirt just once before the Derby!

War Pass leads the field to victory in the BC Juvie, not the case today in the Tampa Bay Derby! (Charles Pravata)

Well, all I can say is “very interesting” until I can watch the replay again and read the results chart for Tampa Bay Derby + you KNOW there’s gonna be a lot of press about.

War Pass just never looked comfortable, that’s for sure and it looked like Cornelio pulled him back when it was clear he wasn’t in it.

I hope he comes out of it ok… both Attoned and Big Truck looked great

Storm Boot Gold & Gary Contessa in the paddock at Belmont before the 2006 Evan Shipman

I decided last night to take a pass on handicapping any races this weekend. It’s been a long month or so and it’s not like I’m on a winning streak.

After the Breeders’ Cup I had decided that, for the most part, that winter racing at Aqueduct would be my break from New York racing. I follow it closely in the spring, summer and fall but winter would be my time to (sporadically) follow Derby preps and have some downtime.

With spring kind of in the air, I took a peak at the Aqueduct card and noticed Storm Boot Gold was running in the Instant Friendship. My first trip to the track, and real introduction to horse racing, was July 22nd, 2006 at my beloved Belmont and Storm Boot Gold was the morning line favorite in the Evan Shipman.

Swifty and I had been talking about going to the Belmont for a while. He had gone to the track with his grandpa as a kid and had recently been back to accompany a friend of a friend who traveled from out of town for a Seabiscuit giveaway at Belmont. (Yes, I can trace my path to being a fan back to a NYRA giveaway… I guess they do work!).

When we arrived at Belmont I was immediately taken by the 70’s vibe of the “decor”, which was comprised of mostly signage indicating the bar or betting slips.

I also loved the layout, we quickly established the routine of going to the paddock, to the parade to the windows to the seats… all with relative ease and efficiency. My record keeping wasn’t so hot so I can’t tell who was the first horse I ever bet on. I only actually wrote down of a couple of my bets but I know I wagered on every race (I was there, right?).

From what I have written down, in the 3rd I did a $1 tri box on 1-7-10 and 7-2-10 came in. In the Oaks I put $10 on Pine Island to win, Swifty had the winner, Wonder Lady Anne L.

While I didn’t write it down, I know I put money on Storm Boot Gold to win the Evan Shipman, Swifty did too. Spite the Devil ended up winning and Storm Boot Gold came in last. I’m rooting for him today, as I do every time I notice that he’s running.

When we first arrived at Belmont, we approached a big simulcast results board crowded with older gentleman wearing large glasses. While making the ‘Welcome to Fantasy Island’ hand gesture Swifty said, “Welcome to your future”… and he was right! I’m really looking forward to getting back out to Belmont… it’s classy and a classic!

I didn’t come away a winner on the day but definitely felt an Instant Friendship, if you will. It wasn’t until a couple of months later when I went back in the Fall and tripled my money that I fell in love, but that’s a story for another time. Until then, here’s the full photo set from the day.

Rafael Bejarano after winning the Distaff at this year’s Breeder’s Cup (Charles Pravata)

Rafael Bejarano was thrown from a horse at Santa Anita today. The horse, Parisian Art, apparently had a heart attack in the stretch and died.

From the Bloodhorse article:

Track officials reported that he was talking and moving his arms and legs, but was in a great deal of pain in his neck and shoulders.

RIP Parisian Art and best of luck to Rafael for a speedy recovery.

Update: he suffered some minor cracks and should be back in a month… full update here. [DRF]

The Take Back the Race! petition has sparked quite a lot of debate and discussion! There have been times when the discussion has become a bit heated and others where it seemed downright tense. However, for the most part, it’s all been relatively respectful and in the spirit of camaraderie.

I’m all for debate, I’m all for discussion and I’m all for difference of opinions… it’s healthy and usually ensures that all angles are at least considered. In fact, it’s one of the things that makes America grrrrrr-eat!

However, in every group of people with different opinions you can always manage to find that one person who, consciously or unconsciously, lacks an awareness of the boundary between expression of one’s opinion versus straight up provocation.

Is it simply meant to be inflammatory or is it just a poorly argued point? I can’t tell, but then again it’s been so long since I’ve watched Fox News (or All in the Family re-runs!).

With that in mind, I’d like to go on record with something. In addition to being a Lady, I’m also a big old Homo! I just wanted to “come out” with that in case anyone wanted to share their cogent, well thought out points on the many ways Homos are contributing to the downfall of racing.

In other bra burning news, the petition is getting a lot of signatures, and from not only the fairer sex!

Here are a few samples from the singers of the male variety:

They events should be mixed between the days. Otherwise, like the Oaks and BES, they will not draw like the Derby and Preakness (and they deserve to be on equal footing).

I go further. Scrap ladies day altogether. it is demeaning to have all Filly & Mare races on Friday. Shame on them all

You guys have lost your way. John Gaines is spinning.

Preserve the tradition

change the name back and get rid of the female-only card on Friday – both were stupid ideas. The idiots who run our sport clearly have no clue how to promote racing. The friday card – and the great horses, trainers and owners involved – has been made a second class citizen. And the cross-promotional ideas only add insult, not legitimacy to the whole thing.

Keep those signatures coming Ladies & Gentlemen, we’re on a roll!